Documentary Requirements for a Foreign National

DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS FOR A FOREIGN NATIONAL INTENDING TO MARRY A FILIPINO SPOUSE IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT (CNI) TO MARRY – obtainable from the Registrar’s Office in the prospective foreign spouse’s place of residence. 2. Original copy or certified true copy of birth certificate. 3. Original copy or certified true copy of divorce decree absolute or death certificate of deceased spouse, if applicable. 4. A Moral Character Reference, which takes the form of a letter or certificate from a person of authority, a social worker, health or education officer, or a church minister who has direct personal knowledge of the prospective foreign spouse’s character as well as background.

NOTA BENE: All the above specified documents must be submitted to the prospective foreign spouse’s Embassy/Consulate in the Philippines upon arrival thereat. The Embassy/Consulate will then issue a CERTIFICATE OF LEGAL CAPACITY TO MARRY to the prospective foreign spouse. The prospective foreign spouse, together with the Filipino contracting party, may then apply for a marriage license at the Office of the Civil Registrar where the Filipino contracting party habitually resides. The Civil Registrar’s Office, after receiving such application, is required by law to put on public notice the intended marriage for a period of ten (10) consecutive days. During this ten (10)- day public notice, both the contracting parties shall not be allowed to leave the Philippines, as objection to the intended marriage may be raised by any person. No marriage license may be issued until this requirement has been fully satisfied.

LEGAL AND FORMAL MARRIAGE REQUISITES IN THE PHILIPPINES 1. Legal Capacity of the contracting parties who must be a male and a female, 2. Consent freely given in the presence of the solemnizing officer, 3. Authority of the solemnizing officer, 4. The marriage ceremony must take place with the appearance of the contracting parties before the solemnizing officer and their personal declaration that they take each other as husband and wife in the presence of not less than two witnesses of legal age. 5. A valid marriage license.